Pho Boy - Edmonton

I don't think I've ever finished a large bowl of pho before until I had PhoBoy's version of it. I've tried both the Dragon special which is their beef broth mea... read more I don't think I've ever finished a large bowl of pho before until I had PhoBoy's version of it. I've tried both the Dragon special which is their beef broth meat combo as well as the satay broth version on different occasions. I liked both but the satay could be a little spicier (personal preference). The amount of protein is just right. The tendon was melt in your mouth good and the house made meatball was decent which other pho restaurants don't have in their pho. My son had the Hero's Feast which is their vermicelli combo bowl. He liked it a lot especially the spring rolls. I think it's called the Legend roll that you can order as appies. I will definitely go back and try their other menu items. Highly recommended.

I drove pass this restaurant several times and didn’t think much of it. My wife and I walked around the area last weekend and I was drawn to the place because I... read more I drove pass this restaurant several times and didn’t think much of it. My wife and I walked around the area last weekend and I was drawn to the place because I saw the arcade machine sitting in the corner. We weren’t expecting much from this restaurant when entering it thinking that it’s another run of the mill “Vietnamese cuisine”. In the last five years, Edmonton has seen a surge in Vietnamese cuisine restaurants that made claims of being the best. I tried a lot of them and was disappointed by their failure to deliver on quality, taste, and value – Pho Boy is NOT one of these failures. I ordered the “Pho Boy Dragon Special” gluten free) while my wife ordered the “Pho You Build Your Own Pho” gluten free); these are the highlights we got from our experience: Quality The Vietnamese restaurants in Edmonton typically give you a large heaping of pho while skimming on the meat and vegetables. This was not the case in Pho Boy. Despite the both of us ordering jumbo size bowls $15 for the Dragon bowl and $13 for the Build Your Own), the portions of meat and noodles were well balanced. The meat flanks in both our dishes were fresh, tender, and well marinated – I had experiences where the meat given in a pho bowl becomes chewy after you submerse it in the broth, indicating that the meat is not fresh or is from frozen – this definitely was not the case. The Dragon meatball in my dish was made on site and is a highlight of my dish. The various ingredients and spices were easily distinguished when you bite into it and this in itself is worth coming back for more. The crowning jewel in our bowls, however, were the beef tendon chunks – it was so soft almost gelatinous) and flavorful from its absorbing the broth that it practically melted in our mouths when we chewed on them. The other restaurants, too, have done beef tendon properly, but not to this caliber. Taste Overall, the dishes we ordered were very tasty – but this is a reflection in the quality of the ingredients used in the food – the Dragon meatball and the beef tendon are obviously the highlight of the dishes, but the beef broth itself was done so it is not overwhelming salty that you need to wash the soup down with pitchers of water afterwards. The broth is there to enhance and tie together the taste of the pho, meat and vegetables it is not meant to be the star of the dish like many other restaurants do with their offerings. My wife is very averse to anything too salty and this soup definitely got her approval – in my mind, the taste in our bowls really sets Pho Boy apart. Value The amount of food we each had in our bowls was about one liter’s worth of contents for $13 and $15 before GST), respectively – that's a lot of food when it comes to eating out. Aside from the pho, meat, and broth, there were also chicken bits, cilantro, and bean sprouts that accented our meals. While this is a common offering in the Vietnamese restaurants, the sheer amount, taste, and quality in the food makes this a worthwhile expenditure – and then there’s the service. One of the owners Christina) made an effort to approach the customers to ask them about their experience and food while we were there. Edmonton has a reputation for not having the best customer service as a whole, but I’m glad Pho Boy is also an outlier in this regard. If you have an urge to eat out and feel like having pho, you need to go to Pho Boy.

Great place. Had beef satay nice heat to it and awesome flavor recommend highly! !!!! read more Great place. Had beef satay nice heat to it and awesome flavor recommend highly! !!!!

I really enjoy the vegan pho and pho sate veggie spring rolls at this restaurant. The flavors are fantastic and the vegan pho is filled with a variety of vegeta... read more I really enjoy the vegan pho and pho sate veggie spring rolls at this restaurant. The flavors are fantastic and the vegan pho is filled with a variety of vegetables such as broccoli, daikon, carrot, onion, mushrooms, and tofu, topped with bean sprouts and basil. I eat pho regularly and this restaurant offers the largest portion and the most vegetables in their vegan pho compared to others. They also give a generous amount of tofu. The veggie spring rolls are gluten-free and vegan, and they are delicious. Overall, I am a satisfied customer and will continue to enjoy the offerings at Pho Boy.

There are a few vegan options available, but overall, the Pho was bland and tasted like plain vegetable broth with noodles. For a better vegan Pho experience, I... read more There are a few vegan options available, but overall, the Pho was bland and tasted like plain vegetable broth with noodles. For a better vegan Pho experience, I would suggest trying Dang Good instead.